


A Purr-fect Holiday

by verhalen



Series: Chosen Family [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Adoption, Alternate Universe, Amusement Parks, Bullying, Caring Dooku, Cats, Changelings, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Disney References, Disney World & Disneyland, Dooku Dad, Dooku Loves Cats, Dooku leaves the Jedi, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Fluff, Force Bond (Star Wars), Fuck the Jedi, Fuck the Jedi Code, Gen, Gift Fic, Heartwarming, Homelessness, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, I Enjoy Making Dooku Do Completely Undignified Things, Implied Sexual Content, Jedi Are Jerks, Jedi Council of Assholes, Jedi Master Dooku, Like Disneyworld But With Cats, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), No Smut, Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Dooku, Puma Changeling Qui-Gon, Qui-Gon Has PTSD, Qui-Gon leaves the Jedi, Qui-Gon needs a hug, Schmoop, Shapeshifting, Stuffed Toys, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Young Obi-Wan Kenobi, Young Qui-Gon Jinn, protective Qui-Gon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-16 09:29:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17547083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verhalen/pseuds/verhalen
Summary: After a few months of living on Serenno, Qui-Gon is still haunted by his awful experiences in the Jedi Order. Dooku and his mate Nyrih, now Qui's father and mother, decide to do something very special to cheer him up.Sequel to the adorableError in the SystembyChristineThalassinou1990. While this story could be read on its own, it will make more sense if you read that one first!





	1. Bad Dreams (Are Made Of This)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChristineThalassinou1990](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristineThalassinou1990/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Error in the System](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16821016) by [ChristineThalassinou1990](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristineThalassinou1990/pseuds/ChristineThalassinou1990). 



"Time for bed, boys."  
  
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both groaned "awwwwww" in unison. Nyrih smiled, but her tone was firm. "Proper sleep is important," she said. "You'll have more time for your game in the morning."  
  
"Will you or Father at least read us a story?" Obi-Wan asked.  
  
Nyrih nodded. She looked across the room at Dooku, and then on cue they played "rock, paper, scissors" to determine who got story-telling duties. Dooku's scissors cut Nyrih's paper, and she grinned as he made an exaggerated sigh, getting up slowly, giving his adopted sons a look of feigned annoyance.  
  
Nyrih tucked them into bed and sat next to Dooku as he retrieved  _The Very Hungry Sarlacc_. Though the boys had heard the story dozens of times now, they still found it entertaining when Dooku read it, especially when Dooku "did the roar". When the short picture book was finished, he pulled up their blankets and ruffled their hair affectionately. Then Nyrih kissed their foreheads and sat on the edge of the bed to sing them to sleep, petting them - pushing the Force into her touch to relax them - as she sang  
  
 _Soft kitty, warm kitty  
Little ball of fur  
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty  
Purr, purr, purr._*  
  
"Good night," she said.  
  
"Night, Mother," Obi-Wan mumbled.  
  
"Night, Mother." Qui-Gon reached out to squeeze her hand. "Love you."  
  
Nyrih squeezed his hand back, harder. Even though they'd been living on Serenno for three months now and they could freely call her "Mother" and Dooku "Father" and this was routine, it still touched her every time she heard it. She was so relieved to be away from the Jedi Order, where she felt her strong empathic abilities were wasted in a system that preached compassion but didn't allow warmth to be demonstrated. She loved Qui and Obi fiercely, thought of them as her own children, and was grateful for the little family the Force had given her. She ached for the pain Qui had endured not fitting into the Jedi - something she'd tried very hard to protect him from - and was glad to see him happy here, wishing that with time, he'd have enough good memories to make the bad less significant.  
  
Dooku sensed his bondmate's twinge of sadness as they snuggled up together in their own bed. "What's wrong, love?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing."  
  
"It's not nothing."  
  
Nyrih frowned. "I wish we'd left the Order a long time ago." She picked her face up from where she'd been nuzzling his chest, to look into his eyes. "I wish we hadn't been so damn conditioned by the Order to fight our feelings for each other as long as we did. And then we could have taken Qui and Obi with us, much earlier than we did."  
  
"I know." Dooku kissed her forehead, and twined a lock of her dark hair around his fingers. "I have the same regrets. But the important thing is that we're here now."  
  
"I love you."   
  
"I love you too."  
  
Nyrih kissed the tip of his nose, and Dooku smiled. Then they both laughed when one of their housecats, Drogo, hopped onto the bed with an inquisitive chirp, and climbed onto them, purring and kneading loudly. They both reached out of the warm blankets to skritch the cat; then their other housecat, Pelo, jumped onto the bed, not wanting to miss out.  
  
"Yes, yes, we love you also," Dooku said, chuckling as he pet the cat.  
  
Nyrih, herself a Cathar, a feline humanoid species, meowed and headbutted Dooku like a housecat would, and then purred, kneading his shoulders as he tousled her hair.  
  
"I don't think I'm ready for sleep just yet," Dooku said.  
  
"Oh?" Nyrih smirked, feigning innocence. "What are you ready for?"  
  
"A game of whist, perchance?"  
  
Nyrih elbowed him, giggling at his sarcasm. "I think that can probably be arranged."  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Probably." Nyrih nuzzled his beard. "We have to keep it down... the boys..."  
  
He kissed her hard, and Nyrih rolled him onto his back with a growl.  
  
  
_  
  
A few hours later, when they had just gotten to sleep, they were woken up by the yowl of a distressed puma. Nyrih pounced out of the bed, running quickly to the boys' bedroom. Dooku followed in a moment later. Nyrih was holding and rocking Qui-Gon, who was weeping inconsolably, crying as brokenly as they had ever seen. It set off Obi-Wan to cry also, his arms around Qui, sobbing into his back.  
  
"What happened?" Dooku asked, as he sat down on the bed to wrap his arms around the three of them.  
  
"He had a bad dream," Nyrih told him.  
  
Qui-Gon nodded and let out another sob.  
  
"What was it?" Dooku stroked Qui's hair. "You can tell us. It's OK."  
  
"The Jedi," Qui choked out. "The other younglings... they were hurting me again..."  
  
Dooku and Nyrih looked at each other, the fury mirrored in each other's dark eyes. The points of Nyrih's ears twitched with anger, and Dooku's nostrils flared. Dooku could feel Nyrih's claws threatening to come out- natural Cathar instinct to protect her young - and she held it back, not wanting to frighten the boys. Nyrih cleared her throat and steadied herself with the Force, holding Qui tighter. "It's all right now, sweetheart," she said, kissing the top of his head. "You're here now, with your mother and father and brother. You're safe now. We'll never let them anywhere near you again. They can never hurt you again."  
  
But Nyrih and Dooku both knew all too well the memories remained, so the Jedi still continued to haunt them from parsecs away. They had compared notes at different stages of their friendship, and eventual relationship - Dooku had been bullied by his crechemates due to being stronger in the Force and a bit of an overachiever; Nyrih, who was a bit younger, had been bullied for being the only Cathar, and being highly sensitive - something that was an asset as a healer, but made it hard to fit in. Even as they both had washed their hands of the Jedi Order and its corruption, they both still carried the scars of what it had done to them. Qui-Gon had fared even worse, as a changeling.  
  
"We love and accept you as you are," Dooku said, "and we're not going anywhere."  
  
"Exactly." Nyrih continued to rock Qui, who was finally beginning to calm down, held in the loving Force energy of his parents and Obi-Wan.  
  
When Qui and Obi stopped crying, Nyrih and Dooku tucked them back in, and they smiled at Obi-Wan hugging Qui. "I'll protect you too," Obi said.  
  
"You barely come up to my waist," Qui said, tweaking the padawan braid Obi insisted upon keeping because "it's cool".  
  
"I can be strong with the Force too!" Obi huffed, with the indignant "pufferfish" face that he thought made him look tough, but just amused Dooku, Nyrih, and Qui to no end. To demonstrate his strength in the Force, Obi looked at Nyrih, waved his hand, and said, "Bring us some ice cream."  
  
Nyrih threw her head back and laughed. She thought about telling them to go back to sleep, but she decided to indulge the boys - she couldn't bear seeing Qui so upset - and she got up to go to the kitchen. Dooku shook his head in disbelief.  
  
"Really?" Dooku raised an eyebrow. "You use your Force powers for that?"  
  
Obi gave him a very serious face. "Hey. Ice cream is  _important._ "

 

 

_

*Yes, that song is from  _Big Bang Theory._


	2. A Change of Scenery

The next morning, Qui and Obi resumed their game until their tutor came by. Qui-Gon was thinking about going to the local university in Carannia during the day to take courses to become a botanist. Dooku and Nyrih were still debating if Obi-Wan should go to the public school to be around other kids his age, but they worried about how his Force sensitivity would be handled by the other students. In the meantime, the boys' education was necessary, and Qui and Obi dutifully worked on their lessons. As they had school, Dooku was at the capitol building in Carannia, attending Serenno's business, and Nyrih worked at the children's hospital that Dooku had helped her set up, where low-income families from around the Galaxy who had children with serious illnesses could come to Serenno and get medical treatment for free; the hospital was funded by the wealthiest nobles on Serenno.  
  
The hospital was not far from the capitol, and Dooku picked up Nyrih at the end of her shift. They stopped on the way home to get coffee, and decided to bring home milkshakes for the boys. When they arrived home, Obi-Wan was playing his video game, but Qui wasn't playing alongside him as usual. He was staring intently at his tablet, looking like he was trying to concentrate, but Dooku and Nyrih could both sense across their Force bond with him that his mind was elsewhere... in the dark place it had been last night, with the bad dream.  
  
"Here," Nyrih said, bringing Obi-Wan a milkshake, and then putting one in Qui's hands. "It's your favorite, strawberry."  
  
Obi's face lit up as he slurped his right away, but Qui could only manage a small smile and a muttered thanks. Nyrih and Dooku exchanged concerned looks.  
  
"I'll get dinner started," Dooku said, heading to the kitchen.  
  
Nyrih sat down beside Qui. "Are you OK, sweetheart? Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
Qui shook his head. "I'll be fine."  
  
But he was not fine, picking at his dinner when it was something he normally enjoyed, only giving minimal responses to questions asked about his day, what he was studying. Obi-Wan was animated enough for the both of them - he talked at length about a book he was reading as part of his curriculum, about pirates.  
  
"I don't wanna be a Jedi anymore," Obi finally announced. "I wanna be a pirate. And drink lots of rum."  
  
"You've never had rum," Dooku said. "Eat your peas."  
  
"You want to go around stealing from people for a living?" Nyrih raised her eyebrows.  
  
"I would be a good pirate," Obi insisted. "I'd... hijack Jedi ships. Rob from the rich, and give to the poor."  
  
Dooku snorted. "The Republic might have a bit of a problem with that."  
  
"Rob is such a strong word," Nyrih said. "It sounds like you're doing a bad thing, even if you're doing it with good intentions."  
  
"OK fine. I'd  _borrow_  from the rich," Obi said, before shoveling peas into his mouth.  
  
"The Jedi might indeed not like that," Qui said, finally speaking up. "You'd be risking a war with them."  
  
"Good. They can fight me." Obi made the "pufferfish" face again, showing his dimples without meaning to. "I'd like to fight them, after what they did to my brother."  
  
Qui-Gon sighed loudly. "May I be excused?"  
  
He got up without Dooku or Nyrih saying yes or no. Dooku and Nyrih looked at each other worriedly. When everyone else was finished eating, Nyrih cleared the table and started the dishes - though they had servants, she and Dooku preferred handling cooking and cleanup themselves, with a rule that whoever cooked, the other had to do dishes. Nyrih found the act of working with soapy water to be soothing and grounding, but tonight she was troubled as she scrubbed, getting the sense Qui was crying again. When Dooku came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and give her a kiss, she could see the tears in his own eyes.  
  
"We should go to him," Nyrih said, and Dooku nodded.  
  
Twilight was setting in, and Qui was in the garden gazebo, a place he frequented when he wanted to find peace. The night-blooming roses were opening, starting to glow in the light of Serenno's two moons, and fireflies were dancing. It would have been a beautiful sight except Qui-Gon was crying. He looked away when he saw his mother and father approaching, who sat on either side of him.  
  
"Qui-Gon." Dooku patted his shoulder. "We know you're still upset."  
  
Nyrih took his hands. "Please don't shut us out. We want to help you."  
  
"I know." Qui nodded. "It's still hard to let myself, after..."  
  
He didn't need to finish the sentence; Nyrih and Dooku both knew it ended with  _After the Jedi taught me it wasn't right to show emotions._  They both sighed together, feeling the pang once again at the teachings they themselves had to re-examine and challenge, increasingly at odds with them over the years. They both felt the stab of guilt at not taking Qui-Gon out of there far sooner than they did.  
  
"The only way you can heal," Nyrih said, "is by acknowledging a wound is there in the first place. And it's OK to flush the wound. If you need to cry - if you need us to be there with you when you do - we're here for you."  
  
"She's right," Dooku said.  
  
Nyrih went on, "But it's not OK to pick at it... punishing yourself for something that wasn't your fault, closing yourself off to happiness. If there's anything we can do to make you happy, make you feel better, even just a little... we're here for that, too."  
  
"Thank you." Qui-Gon at last leaned on Nyrih, and she wrapped her arms around him and rocked him gently. Dooku pulled both of them close and rocked them too.  
  
After the boys were put to bed, Dooku and Nyrih stayed up for awhile, cuddling on the couch, watching a movie together. But neither of them were really focusing on the movie, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, still leaning on Dooku, Nyrih used the Force to fetch her tablet, and Dooku glanced over her shoulders as she surfed the holonet.  
  
"I think," Nyrih said, "it might be good for us to go on a family vacation for a few days."  
  
"Oh!" Dooku nodded. "Yes, that would be a nice change of pace, for Qui-Gon especially."  
  
"One of my patients' parents was talking about how when she's better, she wants to go to Kittyworld more than anything." Nyrih's fingers paused when the site loaded. "It sounds like a place Qui-Gon would really enjoy, don't you think?"  
  
Kittyworld was a cat-themed amusement park on Alderaan. As much as Dooku loved cats - Drogo and Pelo were on either side of them now, purring away - he found the staff costumes ludicrous, and there were a lot of rides, which all seemed too fast and wild for his liking and possibly dangerous.  
  
But for Qui-Gon, he'd endure it. Qui was like a ray of sunshine on his best days, and seeing him so dark and stormy was heartbreaking.  
  
"Let's make arrangements for the trip," Dooku said, his arms tightening around her. Nyrih grinned, and gave him a quick kiss before she entered booking information.


	3. Be Our Guest

The Alderaanian summer sun sweltered as Dooku, Nyrih, Qui and Obi waited in the queue to be let in to Kittyworld. In addition to having admission passes checked, everyone had to go through a metal detector - Dooku lamented that such was the state of unrest in the Galaxy these days, that even an amusement park on one of the Core Worlds was a potential risk for terrorism; the Jedi clearly weren't doing as good a job upholding law and order as they claimed they were.  
  
When it was their turn, a guard in a lion costume scanned them, and gruffed, "Welcome to Kittyworld. Have a cat-tastic day." He was obviously forced to make that horrible pun, and as unhappy with his job as the family was to be waiting and scanned; Dooku and Nyrih felt sorry for him.  
  
"They don't pay you enough for this, do they," Dooku mused.  
  
The lion guard chuckled. "No, sir."  
  
Dooku quietly slipped a fifty credits chip into the guard's hand. "For keeping this park safe. Thank you."  
  
The lion guard made a noise of protest, and Dooku gently pushed with the Force. "Take it."  
  
Then he wrapped his arm around Nyrih and took little Obi-Wan's hand - Nyrih was holding Qui's hand on the other side of her.   
  
The new entrants to Kittyworld were greeted by a group of five cat-costumed performers who danced in unison as they sang "Meow-meow-meow-meow, meow-meow-meow-meow, meow-meow-meow-meow-MEOW-meow-meow-meow." Dooku felt as if his eyes would fall out of his skull with how hard they were rolling, but Qui and Obi loved it and that was more important.  
  
There was a lot to see and do in the park, and it was decided to go to Main Street first, which had a number of shops, as well as game kiosks, food carts, and some tamer rides. Main Street also had a large amount of cat-costumed staff just walking about, who would pause for holophoto and holovideo opportunities.  
  
As they made their way to Kittyworld's Main Street, the four noticed there were a number of tourists wearing hats with cat ears on them. Obi finally began tugging on Dooku's sleeve. "I want one," he said.  
  
"One of the hats?" Dooku asked.  
  
Obi nodded.  
  
"I want one too," Qui said.  
  
So they stopped at one of the souvenir shops, which had ridiculously overpriced merchandise such as T-shirts, hats, water bottles, stuffed animals, backpacks, snowglobes, music boxes, and posters. Money was no object for Dooku and he wanted to make Qui and Obi happy, so he let them buy whatever they want. They each got a large stuffed cat, and then Qui brought four cat ear hats to the checkout.  
  
After Qui had paid for the stuffed toys and hats, Dooku's eyebrow went up at there being four hats. Qui put one on Obi's head, then his own, then put one on Nyrih. Dooku spluttered just before Qui slammed a cat ear hat down on his head - the cat hat was made all the more ridiculous contrasting with Dooku's long, flowing brown cape, as the Counts of Serenno wore.  
  
"I... can't... wear this..."  
  
"Oh, Yan." Nyrih chuckled. "If it makes our son happy..."  
  
"Which it does." Qui grinned, but there was mischief dancing in his eyes.  
  
Dooku groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Nyrih patted his shoulder and then leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "Besides," she said, "you look so cute."  
  
Dooku glared. "I am not cute."  
  
"Yes you are." She booped his nose.  
  
Dooku rolled his eyes again, but felt heat flush his cheeks, and he kissed Nyrih back. She skritched the cat hat and said, "Nice kitty," and Qui and Obi snickered until Dooku shot them a death glare. Then they snickered more quietly.  
  
The ridiculousness continued as they left the shop and headed back onto Main Street, with Dooku having to wear the cat hat in public. He was grateful that Qui and Obi didn't insist they also wear attachable tails, as some of the tourists were sporting.  
  
They stopped at a game kiosk, where one could pay to throw balls to hit targets and win an assortment of very large stuffed animals. It became obvious from watching the people in front of them that the game was rigged - a professional pitcher repeatedly failed to get any of the targets. But when they were next in line, the small Togruta girl ahead of them kept trying and trying, over fifty turns, looking ready to break down in tears.  
  
Finally Qui-Gon stepped forward and said, "Here. Which one of these do you want?"  
  
She pointed to a big blue tiger.  
  
Qui patted her head and threw the ball. It hit the target, with bells going off, sirens blaring, lights flashing. The kiosk worker looked visibly annoyed - Qui wasn't supposed to win, but here he was. The employee took the blue tiger down from the prize shelf, and Qui handed it to the ecstatic Togruta, who hugged him in thanks and then began to twirl around with the tiger, squealing in happiness. Qui smiled.  
  
Obi also hit a target, twice, with a pink panther for himself and a green lion for the Togruta girl, who was still watching in disbelief.  
  
Dooku decided to usher them away from the kiosk before they could make too much of a scene, which was just as well, because Qui and Obi wanted to stop at a food cart. Obi insisted everyone get cotton candy. Dooku tried to protest, but Nyrih said, "If it would make the boys happy..."  
  
So Dooku found himself eating cotton candy for the first time in his life, with it inevitably making a mess in his beard. Nyrih playfully groomed him like a cat and then stole a kiss when the boys were distracted by a juggler in a cat costume.  
  
Nibbling on warm soft pretzels, the four went to an animatronic display of different planets around the Galaxy, spinning, that opened doors for robot cats to slide out of, dressed in clothing of different cultures - Dooku recognized Serenno, and the cape the nobles wore. The cats then swayed in time as they sang "It's A Small Galaxy After All".  
  
Obi wanted to see it play a second time, and after that they continued their march down Main Street. A human tourist stopped them and said to Nyrih, "I like your cat costume."  
  
"It's not a costume," Nyrih told her. "You've never seen a Cathar before?"  
  
The tourist looked embarrassed, and quickly walked away. Qui patted her and Nyrih patted him back.  
  
"It's OK," Qui said.  
  
They waited in line for the carousel, or "kitty-go-round", as Obi called it. When it got to be their turn, Nyrih chose a pair of twin lions, gesturing for Dooku to mount beside her. The lions looked almost lifelike in their attention to detail, except that they were also sporting painted-on flowers and flowing silks. Dooku grumbled, but he climbed on the lion, and Nyrih leaned into him, and Dooku supposed it wasn't too bad if they could still cuddle. They watched Qui and Obi climb onto the largest mount, a dire tiger, who had painted-on flames.  
  
The music started and the carousel spun around, slowly at first, then faster, and the cat mounts rose up and down on their poles. Nyrih and Dooku snuggled and nuzzled, while Qui and Obi yelled "yee haw". When the ride was over, Qui and Obi wanted to take a second turn, and Nyrih and Dooku opted to watch from outside the carousel, getting some water.  
  
Finally Qui and Obi returned to them, and pointed across the way to a statue of a very dapper cat drinking tea with his pinky up. "Look, it's you," Qui said to Dooku.  
  
"Ha. Ha.  _Ha._ "  
  
The statue was in front of a teacup ride, and Dooku found himself being pulled by Qui and Obi into the queue. He watched with a feeling of apprehension as the teacups spun around and around very quickly, first clockwise then counterclockwise, and then the floor rose up and all the teacups went sailing down a twisting slide, as the slide itself turned round and round, faster and faster. Dooku was not looking forward to this, but here he was, getting into a four-person-capacity blue teacup with Nyrih, Qui and Obi.  
  
Classical music played as the teacups began to turn. Dooku's stomach knotted, and Nyrih took his hand.  _Just breathe_ , she spoke into his mind.  
  
That was, of course, easier said than done, when they were traveling at the speed of a swoop bike, and this was said to be one of the tamer rides in the park. Qui and Obi screamed and laughed, while Dooku tried to breathe, closing his eyes when the vertigo got to be too much. Nyrih wrapped her Force energy around him like a safety blanket, and Dooku clung to her until it was over.  
  
But as bad as the experience was, the smile on Qui's face made it all worth it. He'd been in a funk the last few days, even downcast on the flight to Alderaan, and now it seemed like his troubles were many parsecs away. Nyrih had mentioned he probably had post-traumatic stress disorder and they would need to find him a therapist when they got back to Serenno, but for now, Qui was happy and that was what mattered. Dooku would endure the cat hat and nauseating rides for the sake of his son.  
  
He was grateful that the next ride was bumper speeders, much more slow-paced. Nyrih took special pleasure crashing into him again and again, which brought out his competitive instinct, and soon he and Nyrih were speeder chasing each other around the track, seeing how hard they could bump each other's speeders. Dooku and Nyrih both groaned reluctantly when the buzzer sounded and their speeders were dragged back to the starting pit.  
  
"I think you enjoyed that even more than we did," Qui said when they climbed out and joined them.  
  
Dooku and Nyrih smiled at each other and Dooku said, "Perhaps so."  
  
The next ride was a boat ride through a fake jungle populated by animatronic cats. The rapids were fast but not as bad as the teacup ride, until the end when the boat dropped down a waterfall, and everyone got soaked. Dooku insisted they take a break from rides after that, which was just as well because it was late afternoon, and Qui and Obi were in the mood for an early dinner.  
  
One of the cafes on Main Street had waitstaff in mouse costumes, which made Obi laugh hysterically when he saw it. They ate there, despite the noise of pinball games and video games, and Dooku didn't usually approve of fast food.  
  
When their meal was finished, the sun was setting, and Dooku and Nyrih opted to take a gondola ride while Qui and Obi played at a game kiosk nearby. Dooku was grateful for a moment of peace, snuggled up to Nyrih in the boat, sailing slowly, watching the sun set.  
  
"I love you," Nyrih told him.  
  
"I know." Dooku kissed her. "I love you, too."  
  
"I especially love you for being a good father to our boys." Nyrih nuzzled him. "I know some of this makes you uncomfortable." She flicked one of the cat ears on Dooku's hat, making him roll his eyes and chuckle. She went on, "But you do it to make them happy, and that means a lot to me. Seeing the way you love Qui-Gon was a big part of why I fell in love with you in the first place."  
  
"Same here." Dooku stroked her face. "You have a beautiful heart."  
  
"Yes, I see you looking at that heart quite often."  
  
Dooku facepalmed, laughing, his face burning. Nyrih's eyes twinkled, and her hand playfully rubbed his knee. "It's all right, Yan. I don't mind. If I did mind, I would have clawed your eyes out a long time ago."  
  
"Mmmmmm. Such a fierce little kitty." Dooku kissed her again, and Nyrih nipped his lower lip with a growl.  
  
Dooku would have been content to call it a day and take his mate back to the hotel room, but Qui and Obi still wanted to tour the park - they had been on Main Street for hours and still not seen everything on Main Street, let alone the rest of the park. They would be at Kittyworld an additional two days after this, so they still had plenty of time, but Dooku wouldn't begrudge letting the boys have a little more fun.  
  
They were coming to the entertainment district of Main Street now. A band played in a bandshell, and there was a queue for another bandshell that advertised a magic show.  
  
Obi tugged on Dooku's sleeve. "Oooh, Father, can we see the magic show?"  
  
"I suppose."  
  
After waiting a few minutes, they were let in and quickly found their way to an available space on the ground about halfway from the stage. Nyrih spread a blanket for them to sit on, and the four drank water as they waited for the show to begin.  
  
Finally there was a drumroll and the announcer yelled, "It is our pleasure to introduce... the Amazing TAHL!"


	4. It's A Small Galaxy After All

A young humanoid woman with dark skin, long dark hair in a ponytail, clad in deep purple robes and sparkly silk scarves around her neck, waist and sleeves, took the stage. Qui-Gon's breath caught a little - she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.  
  
But she was more than just pretty. Qui watched with interest as The Amazing Tahl's first magic trick was performed. She approached a row of giant spoons, and one by one bent them, without touching them. There was no cloth on the table, the area underneath the table was exposed for anyone to see and there was no one under the table pulling anything to bend the spoons. There were no visible strings or wires.  
  
After all the spoons were bent, Tahl waved her hand and the spoons flew off the table and began whirling in circles around the stage. Tahl then moved her hand to direct them, up, down, left or right. At last she dropped the spoons to the floor with a clatter. Then she closed her eyes as if meditating, waved her hands again, and the spoons propped themselves up and began to dance to the beat of music playing. Tahl started dancing too, and eventually the spoons were dancing in a circle around her.  
  
Tahl then removed one of the silk scarves from around her neck. She draped it in front of herself, like a curtain. There was a flash of bright blue light from behind the curtain, and then the scarf fell and revealed a puma; the other scarves Tahl had been wearing were on either side of the puma. Qui-Gon gasped, and gasped again as the puma held out a paw and the scarf rose off the ground, and the other scarves Tahl had been wearing lifted up. The puma raised its head and the scarves floated around the stage, and the puma seemed to control the scarves' movement by moving its tail.  
  
At last, one of the scarves dropped over the puma, and there was another flash of blue light underneath the scarf, and Tahl was back. She took a bow to wild applause. Then she snapped her fingers and a flame was conjured above her index finger. She lit a ring of fire around her, and then she folded her arms and lifted a meter off the floor, sitting in a meditative position as she hovered in the air. She did this for a moment and then made swimming motions away from the ring of fire; she lay back, levitating on her back, and when she waved her arms, the flames went out. Then she gently landed on the table where the spoons had been, and one of the spoons flew over to her and was unbent without her touching it. She climbed off the table, waved the spoon like a wand, and took another bow.  
  
The show was over, and most of the crowd began to leave after that. Qui-Gon lingered, wanting to talk to her, and then he heard explosions. Obi-Wan tugged on his sleeve and started dragging him away; the explosions were fireworks, and they had a clearer view back out on Main Street, away from the bandshell. Qui admired the fireworks display, rainbows exploding in the night sky, but he kept thinking about what he'd just seen. Was it all a stage magician's trick, sleight of hand? Or did she have the Force?  
  
_  
  
Back in their hotel room, Qui was shifted into his puma form, with Obi snuggling him like he would a large stuffed animal. It was innocent and pure, though Qui knew they couldn't keep this arrangement forever and at some point they would need their own beds in their own rooms. In the meantime, Qui enjoyed cuddling his little brother, who had proclaimed this "the best day ever" before he went to sleep.  
  
Qui was trying to relax enough to go to sleep himself, but he felt a strange sense of unease. When he closed his eyes to meditate, he found the uneasy feeling got stronger. Strong enough to be a disturbance in the Force, very close by.  
  
This was worth investigating. Qui got up, and changed into his humanoid form. Obi stirred. "What are you doing?" Obi mumbled.  
  
"Something's wrong, and I need to go see what it is," Qui said.  
  
Obi frowned.  
  
"You stay here, and if you need anything, Father and Mother are right across the hall." Qui leaned in to pat his head. Obi's frown deepened, and Qui wagged his finger. "I mean it. Stay here."  
  
Obi pouted, but did as he was told.  
  
When Qui left the room, closing the door behind him, he saw Dooku was doing the same thing across the hall. They took a moment to look at each other, and Dooku said, "You felt it too."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"All right." Dooku frowned. "Nyrih wanted to come along but I told her it might be safer if she stayed behind."  
  
"I told Obi that, also."  
  
They walked out of the hotel lobby, and followed their instincts to where the feeling of distress was coming from. It led them to the dumpsters in the back of the hotel, where there was a makeshift tent made out of tarps, and four teenage boys throwing rocks at a dumpster. Upon closer examination, there was a person in the dumpster. One of the rocks hit the person, and there was a moan of pain.  
  
"Please," came a female voice. "I'm just looking for something to eat."  
  
The boys laughed at her, and kept throwing rocks. Then one of the boys went to the tent and started demolishing it. The figure leapt out of the dumpster - it was Tahl!  
  
"Stop that!" she yelled.  
  
"Make me," the boy jeered, throwing her meager belongings at his companions. "Here, let's take the spoils, not that they're worth much."  
  
There was a hiss and hum that made the boys stop, and turn around slowly, to see two lightsabers, one glowing blue and the other glowing green.  
  
"Four against one," Dooku said. "Cowards."  
  
"Cowards just looking for trouble," Qui-Gon said.  
  
Dooku stepped forward out of the shadows, coming towards the boys with his lightsaber. The boys made a run for it, but before they could get away, Dooku and Qui-Gon Force threw them so they landed hard on the pavement, getting scrapes and possibly even sprains or broken bones. Then Dooku turned off his lightsaber and approached Tahl, who was visibly trembling with fear.  
  
"Are you all right, milady?" he asked.  
  
"I think I just got a bruise from the rock, but... my home isn't all right. I'll have to put this tent back together." Tahl sighed as she dropped to the ground to collect the bags and bundles that would have been taken by the boys ganging up on her.  
  
"You don't have anyplace to go?" Qui asked.  
  
Tahl shook her head. "I have a job doing the magic show at Kittyworld, but rent around here is expensive and it's taking some time to save credits for a deposit on a place."  
  
Dooku sighed; across their bond Qui could feel Dooku internally ranting about how the cost of living shouldn't be this high anywhere in the Galaxy and it was yet another way the Republic didn't care about its own citizens. "Milady, please come with us."  
  
Tahl frowned. "I... I don't go anywhere with strangers, I'm sorry."  
  
"We're not going to hurt you," Dooku said. "We're here to help you. My son and I are staying in this hotel. I'd like to put you up in a room at my expense until my family is ready to leave Alderaan, then we can see about finding you better living arrangements."  
  
"Please, sir, I don't want to be in your debt. Those rooms are expensive -"  
  
"I am the Count of Serenno, milady. Money is no object. You would owe me nothing."  
  
Tahl sighed. "All right. Give me a moment to get my things."  
  
Qui-Gon waved his hand, using the Force to pull a stack of Tahl's belongings over to him. He and Tahl looked at each other for a long moment, and then Tahl also used the Force to pull up the bags and bundles in front of her. Then Dooku stepped towards her and took the items from her. "Allow me to carry these for you," he said.  
  
Tahl followed Qui and Dooku to the hotel, and in the lobby Dooku handed over his credits card to the receptionist and said, "A room for this young lady for the next two days, all expenses charged to me."  
  
"Thank you." Tahl nodded.  
  
"You're welcome." Dooku smiled.  _With no thanks to the Republic._  
  
Tahl's room was near their rooms, and Dooku and Qui continued to carry her belongings to the door. Once Tahl opened the door, she used the Force to take the bags and bundles from them, steering them inside.  
  
"Sleep well," Qui told her.  
  
"Thank you. You too."  
  
Dooku returned to his room with a sigh. Nyrih had been sitting up, worried. "Is everything all right?" she asked.  
  
"It is now," Dooku said. He changed back into his pajamas and climbed in beside Nyrih.  
  
They cuddled for a moment before Nyrih asked, "So what happened out there?"  
  
"The young woman who did the magic show is homeless," Dooku said, "and she was being attacked by a group of thugs."  
  
"That's terrible," Nyrih said.  
  
"Indeed. We got there just in time, it seems."  
  
"You scared them, I hope?"  
  
"I did." Dooku gave a small, predatory smile.  
  
Nyrih nibbled his neck with a little growl. "Good."  
  
Dooku kissed her, and then he said, "I also put Tahl in a room at my expense for the next two days, and we'll help her with other living arrangements before we leave."  
  
"Oh, Yan." Nyrih's dark eyes misted, and she stroked Dooku's face. "That is so kind of you."  
  
"The Galaxy could use more kindness."  
  
"It could." Nyrih kissed him hard. "This is why I love you."  
  
Dooku kissed her back. "I love you too."  
  
Then Nyrih frowned. "Is she hurt at all? Will she need a doctor...?"  
  
"She appears to be unharmed," Dooku said, "at least physically. So we should get some sleep." He grinned. "...Eventually."  
  
"Eventually." Nyrih grinned back at him. "Sounds like you have something in mind."  
  
"I always have it on my mind." They kissed again.  
  
  
_  
  
  
The next morning, Qui knocked on Tahl's door.  
  
He waited a few minutes, and Tahl opened the door a crack, then wider when she saw who it was. "Hi," Qui said. "Would you like to join us for breakfast?"  
  
"I don't want to impose..."  
  
"Hi Magic Lady!" Obi waved frantically. "Come eat with us!"  
  
Tahl chuckled. "Hello there," she said. She looked up at Qui and said, "Is that your little brother?"  
  
"Adopted," Qui said, nodding.  
  
"I still don't want to impose on your family -"  
  
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Obi said. "Especially if it's pancakes."  
  
Tahl laughed. "If you insist," she said, shaking her head.  
  
Tahl had them wait as she got changed, and then she followed them to the hotel restaurant, where Dooku and Nyrih had a table. The five of them ordered breakfast, and as they waited, Dooku introduced Tahl and Nyrih.  
  
"Those thugs didn't hurt you at all?" Nyrih asked, concerned.  
  
"No, just a bruise from a rock, but otherwise I'm fine," Tahl said.  
  
"How long have you been out there?" Nyrih asked. "Has anything like that happened before?"  
  
"I've been homeless for awhile," Tahl said. "As long as I can remember, really. And yeah, I've been harassed a few times, gotten into a few scrapes over the years."  
  
"When is the last time you saw a doctor?" Nyrih asked.  
  
Tahl snorted. "Um... probably not in years."  
  
"After we eat, I'd like to give you a physical," Nyrih said. "If that's fine with you, that is."  
  
"I won't object," Tahl said, "but something you should probably know if you do... I'm a changeling. I won't have normal human physiology."  
  
"So the show last night, when you changed into a puma, that wasn't stage magic?" Dooku raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No sir." Tahl leaned back and glanced around the table nervously.  
  
Qui-Gon took a deep breath. His head was spinning. "Was your homeworld destroyed?"  
  
Tahl nodded. "I was small when it happened, I don't remember much. I made it to Coruscant, but I didn't like it there so when I was old enough I bought a ticket on a transport vessel to Alderaan and I've been here ever since."  
  
Qui and Nyrih looked at each other, then Qui and Dooku looked at each other. "Tahl," Qui said, "we're from the same place. You're the first one of my kind that I've met."  
  
Tahl's mouth dropped open.


	5. When You Wish Upon A Star

The next two days at Kittyworld, despite all of the distraction of rides and games and shows, Qui's thoughts were often with Tahl. Dooku and Nyrih had invited her to tour the park with them before her magic show began in the evening, but Tahl didn't like being in the park too much when she wasn't at work, so she kept to her room. She did, however, join them for breakfast in the mornings, and on their last night there, Tahl accompanied the family to dinner at the hotel.  
  
After dinner, Obi wanted to watch the fireworks, which could still be seen from the balcony on their floor of the hotel. Obi and Qui invited Tahl to join them; they were still wearing their cat ears hats that Obi insisted they all wear, and Tahl skritched Obi's hat like he was a cat before she sat down next to Qui.  
  
"Your father and mother are going to take me to look for an apartment before you leave tomorrow," Tahl said. "They're offering to pay the deposit for me. They're very kind."  
  
"They're good people," Qui said, nodding. He smiled at her. "I'd like to stay in touch, somehow."  
  
"So would I." Tahl gave a small, sad smile. "I never thought I'd meet another changeling."  
  
Their eyes met, and held; Tahl reached out to take his hand and squeeze it. Qui felt his face flush and his stomach flutter, and he felt for a moment like he couldn't breathe. When Tahl let go of his hand he breathed again and looked down, feeling bashful.  
  
Then Tahl said, "Oh,  _wow._ "  
  
"Hm?"  
  
Tahl pointed. A distance away from the fireworks display, there was a shooting star.  
  
Obi smiled. "Mother says you make a wish on those."  
  
"That's just superstition," Qui said.  
  
Obi gave Qui a grumpy look. " _Make a wish._ " He glowered at Tahl. "You too."  
  
Qui and Tahl looked at each other and laughed, and then Qui said, "If you insist."  
  
Qui closed his eyes, and contemplated before he made his wish.   
  
As much as it was a generous offer for Dooku and Nyrih to pay for Tahl's apartment deposit, the cost of living around here was still high enough that there would be concerns about Tahl being able to pay rent, bills, and feed herself with the money she made from her magic show at Kittyworld. She could possibly end up homeless again. It was, indeed, a miracle that so far she hadn't been snatched off the street and sold into slavery to the Hutts, or worse.  
  
And it also felt like a shame to be leaving Tahl behind so quickly. He, too, never thought he'd meet another one of his kind - there were so few survivors of his destroyed homeworld. Even though Dooku and Nyrih had never been anything but caring and loving towards him, he still had that sense of being very much alone in the universe, no homeworld, no blood family, no other changelings. And finally, he'd met another. It seemed, indeed, that the Force had destined for them to find each other.  
  
 _I wish Tahl could come back to Serenno with us._  
  
_  
  
While Qui had gotten to sleep in the last few days of their vacation, Dooku woke him up bright and early, just before the sunrise. The two headed to the hotel gardens to meditate - even though they were no longer Jedi, Dooku felt that certain practices were still important to help them master their connection to the Force.  
  
A few minutes into their meditation, Dooku noticed that Qui wasn't fully there, and he opened his eyes and said, "Something's on your mind."  
  
Qui had been levitating, and he landed on the ground and nodded.  
  
"It's the girl, isn't it."  
  
"Yes." Qui took a deep breath. He felt a little nervous about asking, but it was now or never. "Can Tahl come with us?"  
  
Dooku was quiet, and Qui went on, "Even if you pay for her apartment deposit, she may not be able to afford rent on her income, and... she's one of my people. And there's not many of us. I don't feel right about leaving her behind."  
  
Dooku continued his silence, enough that it made Qui even more anxious. Finally Dooku said, "Nyrih made the same suggestion before I came to get you."  
  
That didn't surprise Qui - she was very caring, as a healer should be. "What did you tell her?"  
  
"I told her that I'd meditate on it. Letting a total stranger into our home is a non-trivial matter. That said, yes, Tahl is from your species, and no, just leaving her to fend for herself doesn't sit well with me, either. So... we can ask her, and if she wants to come with us, I suppose we can try it."  
  
Qui hugged Dooku tight. "Thank you thank you thankyouthankyouTHANKYOU -"  
  
Dooku patted Qui's shoulder and returned the hug, chuckling.  
  
  
_  
  
"You want me... to come with you to Serenno?"  
  
Nyrih and Dooku nodded.  
  
"That's a very generous offer," Tahl said, "but I barely know you, and I'd feel like I was a burden -"  
  
"It could at least be a trial," Dooku said. "If, after a few months, you or we decide it might be best for you to go elsewhere, we can help you find somewhere else to live, and make sure you're secure there. But we won't know unless we try, and as far as being a burden, I did tell you money is no object for me."  
  
"We live in a big mansion with lots of guest rooms not being used," Nyrih said, "so space wouldn't be an issue either."  
  
"And it would make Qui-Gon happy." Dooku looked at Qui, who nodded. "The whole reason we came here is because he had a bit of... an ordeal... when we were all living on Coruscant, enough that it's been haunting him, and we wanted to cheer him up."  
  
"But it's up to you," Qui said. "It won't make me happy if you truly don't want to come with us, I don't want you to feel forced into anything."  
  
"I appreciate that," Tahl said, smiling. She patted his shoulder; Qui felt that flutter in his stomach again. "If you feel like I won't be burdening you at all, then I'd like to try it... I just don't expect to live there for free. I'd like to be able to contribute in some way."  
  
"We'll talk about that after you've settled in," Dooku said. "Shall we take you to your employer before we head for the spaceport, so you can quit and receive any pay owed you?"  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
Qui was so happy he felt like turning cartwheels as they checked out of the hotel. His happiness continued all the way to the spaceport. But as they took off in Dooku's ship - Obi was still wearing his cat ears hat on the ship - Qui noticed Tahl looking at Alderaan from space, looking sad, and that made him feel a twinge of sadness.  
  
"It will be all right," Qui told her, and took her hand.  
  
"I hope so." Tahl nodded. "It's a lot, starting my life over again for the third time."  
  
"At least you're not doing it alone."  
  
"I got you something," Obi piped up, "to say welcome to the family."  
  
Tahl cocked her head to one side. "Oh?"  
  
Obi-Wan reached into a satchel, and pulled out a cat ears hat. He stuck it on Tahl's head. "Now you're one of us."  
  
Tahl laughed and gave him a hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be working on a sequel to this story! :D

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [To Friendship and Beyond](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18282911) by [ChristineThalassinou1990](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristineThalassinou1990/pseuds/ChristineThalassinou1990)




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